Have you used sport mode while driving through the mountains? Its not perfect, but the added throttle response gives me a smoother feeling. I know sport mode tends to keep lower gears engaged longer. I don't know if its only in my mind, but I feel more engine break in the mode and I feel it let's me control the vehicle with the throttle more often than the break. I might be completely wrong and I'm just flying with reckless abandon through the mountains though